The following is adapted from training material developed for use in adult classes at Central Bible Church. As such, it includes the church name and references to CBC's mission, values, spiritual pathway, etc. A downloadable student handout containing the content is provided below so you can edit it for use within your context.
1:8 TRAINING
Teacher’s Guide
Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
“You don’t have to be an expert, you just have to be a witness.” – Lanier Burns
We place value on gospel generosity: Not just knowing the gospel, but going with the gospel to impact our neighborhoods, family, and world. It’s being generous with our testimonies, our lives, our finances, etc., as we live in pursuit of God’s mission.
God has called us to be courageous in those areas, and He gives us His promises and power to do it. Ideally, followers of Christ will be intentional in pursuing spiritual conversations with the people around us, sharing the good news of Christ with them, and discipling those who put their trust in Him. This is all part of our overall mission.
This material is designed to help us be generous with the gospel by sharing it with others.
Before we start, we need a little motivation other than “the church said so.” Let’s discuss the why behind it.
1. WHY IS EVANGELISM IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY?
Evangelism Is Central:
a. The need is great.
We’ll get to the meat of the gospel later, but in short, people are born in sin and separated from God, with no way to reach Him on their own power. Jesus came and died for our sins and rose again. Trusting in Christ is the only hope that people have to be reconciled with God.
John 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
How many need to hear?
According to a 2016 study from Pew Research, around 70% of adults in the US claim some sort of Christian affiliation, with 25% identifying as evangelical Protestants. 23% have no religious affiliation. The remaining few percent follow other religions.
Even if all 70% were true believers, that still leaves 75.6 million American adults who make no claim to follow Christ, not to mention children, who make up 23% of the population.
Christ has the compassion to go after even one lost sheep. We are called to model His compassion for the lost.
b. We have a commission and a responsibility.
God doesn’t need us – but He chose us. He commissioned us through the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We are the only plan for bringing people to Christ. We are Plan A. Jesus started with 11 guys in Jerusalem. If they hadn’t shared the gospel, you wouldn’t know Christ today. We need to continue what started there. Don’t let it stop with us.
Romans 10:13-14 – “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
Demonstration is not enough – proclamation is needed. We don’t have to convict, convince, or convert – that’s on the Holy Spirit. We are just called to plant seeds – 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” God may use many people over many years to grow a single seed.
c. It fits the mission of the church and our commitment to going beyond.
We believe that we as God’s people are commissioned to reconcile people with God. We are His agents of reconciliation, helping people and the world to flourish again and be in relationship with Him, as He intended before the Fall.
This is not just on pastors. The church is a place that people can find Christ, but the church exists mainly to equip God’s people for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12), preparing us to seek and seize gospel opportunities among our neighbors. We as the people must take the gospel into the world, or bring those in the world into our lives and into the church. We can make a difference when we let people know what God has done for us and how He has brought us from death to life.
At Central Bible Church, these are some of our values/Core Competencies:
Humanity - I believe all people are loved by God and need Jesus Christ as their Savior. [Key verse: John 3:16]
Salvation by Grace - I believe a person comes into a right relationship with God by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. [Key verse: Ephesians 2:8-9]
Giving Away My Faith - I give away my faith to fulfill God's purposes. [Key verse: Ephesians 6:19-20]
d. It is ultimately for God and His glory.
At Central Bible Church, our mission statement is: Making God known by making disciples who are changed by God to change their world. The ultimate end of that is to make God known in the world. It is not just for the sake of those who don’t know Christ yet. It is ultimately for His sake, His kingdom, and His glory. We desire to bring glory and worship to Him. He has saved us and made us new, and we respond out of love for our Savior and a desire to do His will, as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Howard Hendricks, in Teaching to Change Lives:
“God never asks you to do anything for Him until he fully informs you of what he has done for you. When finally you are gripped by all he has done for you, your most logical, reasonable, intelligent, and natural response in return is to give everything you’ve got . . . to his lordship.”
It also brings us rewards, both increasing our joy here as we see new believers come into God’s family, and eternally. Treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20) are nothing to scoff at!
Discussion Time: Choose a couple of the questions listed below and ask for a few responses in the group.
- What is your experience with evangelism?
- Why do you think we share the gospel?
- What are the best or worst evangelism practices you have seen?
(For example, best = sharing your own story; worst = leaving a gospel tract instead of a tip at a restaurant.)
- Why don’t we share? What are the barriers that keep you from evangelizing?
(Possibilities to discuss: fear of rejection, lack of Bible knowledge, fear of questions you can’t answer, lack of confidence, not knowing how to bring it up, not really understanding its importance or our role.)
- Why is the good news good? Why are you glad you found out?
2. WHAT CONTEXT IS MOST NATURAL AND EFFECTIVE FOR EVANGELISM?
Connection Is Central:
Now that we have reviewed why evangelism is central, we will move into why connection is central in evangelism. Before we can open our mouths to share the gospel, we need to consider the context in which we are speaking. The optimal context for sharing the gospel with someone is within an already established and stable relationship.
Relational evangelism is the most effective form of evangelism because we already have “credibility, visibility, accessibility, speakabilty,” according to Chris Walker, founder of evangelismcoach.org:
a. Credibility - You are a trusted and reliable source.
b. Visibility - You are not just a talking head, you are a living example that they can watch.
c. Accessibility - You have intimate access into their lives. They share their hopes, needs, and struggles with you.
d. Speakability - You have earned the right to speak into their lives.
If your first thought is, “I don’t have relationships with anyone who is not a believer,” determine to intentionally cultivate places in your life where you can go regularly and get to know non-believers. For instance: the gym, the PTA, a coffee shop, or a community organization. Take time to build relationships with non-believers and listen to them so that you earn the right to speak into their lives.
Not all evangelism can occur within a deep relational context, however. Sometimes we are caught in a moment with a stranger and God provides an unforeseen opportunity. Don’t panic! Although relational evangelism is most effective, no evangelism is guaranteed to be 0% effective every time. So, you have nothing to lose!
One helpful tool in building a brief relational connection with someone you have never met and a more natural segue into gospel proclamation is the FIRE method.
Write FIRE on the white board vertically and explain what the acronym stands for:
Family
Interest
Religion
Evangelism
FIRE is used by simply going through each letter of the word and asking questions about each subject.
Questions like:
Family: Tell me about your family.
Interests: What do you like to do in your spare time to relax or relieve stress?
Religion: What is your experience with church and religion? What do you think about the whole God thing?
Evangelism: Bridge what they say about religion to what the Bible says and segue into the gospel.
Practice Time: Have everyone pair up and have one person in each pair practice sharing the gospel using the FIRE method with the other person. Allow them 5 minutes to complete this exercise.
3. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST EVANGELISM TOOLS?
Transformation Is Central:
Now that we know that both evangelism and connection are central to the gospel being received and we have learned the FIRE method that will help us connect to people we don’t already know and share the gospel in a relatively natural way, it is time to talk about other tools for gospel proclamation.
Your personal transformation is central to evangelism. Your salvation testimony is the most powerful evangelism tool in your possession: You are the foremost expert on how God has changed your life.
a. Your Testimony: How to prepare and tell your story (1 Peter 3:15-16):
- Before I received Christ
What did my life revolve around the most? Where did I get my security or happiness from? (The unbeliever is relying on something external to provide happiness.) How did those areas begin to let me down?
- How I received Christ
Explain the gospel that saved me. Include Christ and the cross. When was the first time I heard the gospel? What were my initial reactions? Why did I decide to start following Jesus?
- After I received Christ
What specific changes have I seen in my life? Why am I motivated differently?
b. 4-Truth Gospel (Romans Road) (4 Spiritual Laws)
- Our problem is sin – Romans 3:23 (all have sinned…)
- Our penalty is death – Romans 6:23 (wages of sin…)
- Our provision is Christ – Romans 5:8 (God demonstrated…)
- Our profession is faith – Romans 10:9 (If you confess…)
c. God Diagram (draw as you discuss it)
- God created each of us with a body and a spirit.
- He created us to be in relationship with Him.
- Because of sin, that relationship was broken, rendering the death of the spirit.
- In life, we might try things like living a good life, philosophy, or even religion, but none of those things can ever restore our broken relationship with God.
- But God, wanting to restore this relationship with us, sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin and providing the only way back to right relationship with God through the resurrection of Jesus, restoring the dead spirit within us.
- Now we must choose to receive this free gift of salvation and restoration, or to reject Jesus and continue being spiritually dead.
- Either way, one day, our earthly body will die. At that moment, we will either have a spirit alive in the presence of God because of the saving grace of Jesus, spending eternity in Heaven, or one that will spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
- Where are you on this diagram? Where would you like to be?
It may help to be equipped with the “hand-to-hand” and “moral continuum” evangelism techniques as well.
There are countless ways to share the gospel, but no matter which one you use, always remember to include the following pieces:
- Start with a connection from their personal life to their need for Jesus as your platform for the conversation.
- End with an invitation to respond to the gospel after you have shared it.
Practice Time: Have everyone pair up with the same person at their table, but this time have the other person practice sharing the gospel with the God Diagram. Allow them 5 minutes to complete this exercise.
4. WHAT IS THE END GOAL OF EVANGELISM?
EVANGELISM → CONNECTION → TRANSFORMATION → DISCIPLESHIP
To recap what we’ve already discussed, evangelism is central to a believer’s walk and is best done in the context of a relational connection with someone that allows us to speak about the transformation God has made in our lives because of the gospel of Jesus. We hope you are leaving with new tools and new confidence for sharing the gospel with your neighbors, but remember that the true goal of evangelism is not just to make converts, but to make disciples who will go on to make even more disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Conclusion: Discipleship Is Central:
Dr. Jerry Root, Associate Director, Institute for Strategic Evangelism at Wheaton College:
“Evangelism begins and ends in discipleship. Perhaps ‘ends’ is an inappropriate word, for the ministry of Christ in the world is ongoing. God grants to each generation both the responsibility and privilege of serving his purposes. To be a disciple of Christ is to know the love and calling of God and to assume the responsibility to tell others that they are deeply loved and forgiven by God.” (See full article.)
Central Bible Church Mission Statement: Making God known by making disciples who are changed by God to change their world. We want to train and equip others not just to BELONG to God’s family, but also to BECOME more like Christ as they live their lives for God’s glory and go BEYOND to change their world.
If there is time, discuss one or more of these questions as a group (if not, you might briefly list some of the suggestions):
Discussion Time: Choose a couple of the questions listed below and ask for a few responses in the group.
- What is a disciple? What does it mean to make a disciple?
(A disciple is a follower of Jesus. We make followers of Jesus by sharing the gospel and helping them grow in their understanding of the Bible so they may be equipped to walk with Christ, evangelize, and disciple others as well.)
- What does it look like practically?
(Bible reading, regular prayer, church attendance, belonging to a Christian community)
- How do you wish someone had helped you to grow as a disciple early on? How can you help someone you know?
(Providing accountability and Christian friendship; serving; helping new believers understand things like assurance of salvation—and evangelism!)
Takeaway/application: Ask everyone to:
- Make a commitment to share the gospel.
- Write down the name of one person they would like to share the gospel with this year.
- Commit to pray for and seek opportunities to share with the person whose name they wrote down.
Prayer Time: Either as a class or in small groups, pray for:
- Courage to share
- Opportunities to share
- God to prepare the hearts of the people we will be sharing with (by name if possible)
- God to bring new disciples into His family through us!
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Download an editable MS Word version of the student handout:
Evangelism Training Handout - Central Bible Church.doc